Bradley Cooper’s best role may be as an weapons-obsessed, semi-homicidal raccoon, but the actor has put together a solid list of performances in which he is not knee-high and betailed. When Alias exploded on ABC, everyone thought Jennifer Garner was going to be the breakout star from the cast, but, over the years, Cooper has emerged as the most talented member of that fantastic ensemble cast. He’s hit or miss as a leading man, with his best solo performance undoubtedly being sniper Chris Kyle in American Sniper. Where Cooper shines is as part of an ensemble. He works best when paired with other high caliber actors (American Hustle, Silver Linings Playbook) and can easily do drama, comedy, or action. His achievement with Rocket is not glib praise. Cooper completely transforms his voice to play one of the MCU’s most popular characters and manages to make a character that is silly in concept, a hysterical, often moving example of voice acting at its finest. With A Star is Born, Cooper added A-list director to his repertoire, taking his career in a direction akin to that of Clint Eastwood. Cooper has a bright future in front of the camera and behind it.
Bradley Cooper’s 10 Best Movies
1. American Sniper (2014) Chris Kyle
2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) Rocket
3. American Hustle (2013) Richie DiMaso
4. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Rocket
5. Alias (2001-2006, ABC) Will Tippin
6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Rocket
7. A Star is Born (2018) Jackson Maine
8. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) Ben
9. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) Pat
10. The Hangover (2009) Phil
Honorable Mention: Wedding Crashers (2005) Sack Lodge
Oscars, Golden Globes & Emmys
Oscar Wins (0): None
Oscar Nominations (7): Silver Linings Playbook (2013), American Hustle (2014), American Sniper (2015 – Actor & Producer), A Star is Born (2019 – Producer, Actor, Screenplay)
Golden Globe Wins (0): None
Golden Globe Nominations (4): Silver Linings Playbook (2013), American Hustle (2014), A Star is Born (2019 – Director, Actor)
Emmy Wins (0): None
Emmy Nominations (0): None
My Favorite Cooper Scene:
“Prison Break” from Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Next Film: Cooper returns to the MCU for his fourth go-round as Rocket in April’s Avengers: Endgame.
Gaga and Brad… that might just work. 😀
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You can write the review!
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I might just take you up on that! I’ve seen every iteration of the movie. 😀
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That makes you more qualified and then I don’t have to see it lol
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I like him a lot. And between American Hustle, American Sniper, Silver Linings Playbook, and all his MCU work, he’s been in quite a few of my favorite films in recent years. Everyone in American Hustle was transcendent. God I love that movie. Cooper IS a great ensemble guy, and yet I don’t understand why he doesn’t get cast as a leading man more, because he has what it takes. He was awesome in American Sniper, and American Sniper was awesome, though the material was a bit Hollywoodized and sanitized (I really would like to think that some of what Kyle said in the memoir was just bravado, and that Eastwood talked to the man’s poor widow, and that the movie was accurate too).
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Well, as awesome as American Sniper is, Cooper has had a ton of bombs as a leading man, and I think he just works better off of other actors’ energy. Sniper is, by far, his best performance, though.
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